The Eclipse War
by Firehawk242
Summary: No matter whose viewpoint you see something from, you'll always miss something. This is a collection of stories that fill in the gaps in my story "The Nature of Magic, Book Two: The War of the Beast". The Classix can't be everywhere, and neither can the Winx. These are the stories of the forgotten heroes.
1. Opening and Index

_Univix was our last, best hope for peace. It failed._

Hello all, and welcome to the Eclipse War Anthology. This is a companion to my trilogy, _The Nature of Magic, _and will fill in the gaps left by the story. Most of what happens in this anthology will be taking place at the same time as _The War of the_ Beast, and will cover the battles that took place all over the Magic are the untold stories of heroes who fought to protect their homes.

**The 208th Infantry (Earth)**

-Corwin's Stand: The story of the first human to fight in the war against Eclipsis.  
-Legacy of Heroes: The continuing role of humans in the war against Eclipsis.

**The 503rd Solarian Jump Scouts (Solaria and associated worlds.)**

-Frontline: Solaria's finest do battle on one of her daughter worlds.

**Lightrock Monastery**

-The Outcast and The Cat: A monk of Lightrock abandons his post to fight in the war.

_But in the year of the Eclipse War, it became something greater. Our last best hope for redemption._ -Allanya, Lady of Magic. (To anyone who recognizes this, it's an homage, not a rip-off. I love that show.)


	2. Corwin's Stand

**Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club.**

**Hello and welcome to the first side story for my trilogy ****_The Nature of Magic._**** This story was inspired by the song ****_Hero _****by Heather Dale. Go look it up on YouTube. You'll understand why.**

The buzzing of the alarm clock woke Eric Corwin from sleep. Bleary-eyed, he rolled over and smacked the snooze button.

"Alright Eric, time to get up." He pushed himself up off the bed and onto his feet. Quickly dressing himself, he paused to check his reflection in the mirror. The person looking back wasn't a very big man, maybe five feet eight. He wore a white tank top and a matching pair of pants. He reached for a shirt.

He pulled it on, then checked his reflection again. A patch on his shirt read "Private Corwin, 208th Infantry."

He sighed. He and his battalion had been sent to Magix for training in case Eclipsis turned her sights upon Earth. So far nothing had happened. He and his fellow soldiers had spent the better part of four months here, learning various techniques for combating monsters. Now, in late March, there were constant reports of battles across the Magic Dimension.

He grabbed his gear and exited the barracks, heading for the training field.

* * *

"Attennnnn-SHUN!" Lieutenant Colonel Richard Warden barked out. Eight hundred pairs of boots clicked together as the entire battalion came to attention.

"Listen up, today we are conducting a field exercise." He paced in front of them. "Companies A and D will be the OpForce. Companies B and C, your mission is to protect the locations I've given to your captains. You may work together or separately, but the OpForce will be working as a single unit. Dismissed!"

The soldiers dispersed to grab training gear. Non-lethal stun rifles took the place of the energy rifles they would use against real enemies and their grenades were replaced by flash-bangs designed to stun and incapacitate, but not to wound.

"Figures that he'll give us two objectives to defend instead of one." Private Roger Newall complained. "He hates us."

"Quit your whining Newall," Eric said, "I'm sick of it. The corporal's sick of it. The sergeant's sick of it. You should be glad it hasn't gotten any higher than that."

"Ease off there Private Corwin, I'll take it from here."

"Yes sir, Corporal Stevens sir!"

"As Private Corwin said, I'm sick of your whining, Private Newall. Is that clear?" Corporal Theo "Teddy" Stevens was a nice man, despite his intimidating appearance. Well over six feet tall and built like a refrigerator, he was in charge of Corwin's four-man team. That included Roger Newall.

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Good. Now let's move out."

* * *

The two companies quickly deployed to the woods outside of Magix. Normally full of animals, it was completely deserted.

"Where's all the little critters?" Private David Wells asked in his drawling accent. "We usually flush at least a couple o' the things."

"Maybe they're all hiding from Teddy?" Private Benjamin Korson asked, prompting laughter from the other four men, even the maligned corporal. It was an old joke.

"Remember what I said about statements which undermine the chain of command, Private Korson." Corporal Stevens waved a finger at the offending private, mock stern.

"Why I would never intend to undermine the chain of command sir. How could you even think that of me?" Korson said in his most dramatically innocent voice. More laughter ensued.

"Alright men, enough chatter. We keep moving."

* * *

Several hours later, the men were returning from the exercise. Hot, tired, and sweaty, they exited the woods.

"You see? What did I tell you? He hates-" Newall's complaint was cut off by the sight before them. Magix was burning. Monsters battled with fairies, witches, and others on the western side of the city.

"What do we do?" Captain Edward McNell asked.

"We stay out of this." Lieutenant Colonel Warden said. "This isn't our fight. Our task here was to train to protect our homes. This fight belongs to the fairies." He spat on the ground. Warden was well known for his dislike of magical beings.

"Sir, we can't just abandon these people! We have a-"

"Yes we can captain! This is not out battle! Now everyone, report to the barracks!"

* * *

Eric Corwin grabbed his rifle, his combat knife, and his bandoleer of energy grenades. Quietly, he closed his locker. Turning around, he ran into what felt like a solid brick wall.

"And just where do you think you're going, Private Corwin?" Corporal Stevens asked, apparently completely unperturbed by the impact.

"I'm going out there."

"I can't let you do that."

"Try and stop me."

"Why do you want to go out there so badly?"

"Because my sister will be out there."

"You have a sister?"

"Yes sir. She's a student at Alfea."

"Ah. That explains why you never mentioned her."

"Yes sir." Fairies weren't exactly popular among the army. Some regarded them as cheaters, others as unnatural, and some as being outright evil. Not everyone believed this, but Colonel Warden's troops took their cues from him. Having a fairy for a sister would be a mark of absolute shame.

"...Go."

"Sir?"

"I don't agree with the Lieutenant Colonel's opinions, but my hands are tied. I never saw you. You're in your room, feeling ill."

"Thank you sir."

"Go."

Corwin hurried out of the camp. He'd always done well at covert ops, where his small size worked in his favor, rather than against him. No one saw him as he exited the camp.

Hurrying across the eerily empty city, he rushed towards the sounds of the battle.

* * *

Rachel Corwin fought as hard as she could. She'd earned her Charmix last year, but she was no Enchantix fairy. Beside her hovered her friends Raven and Natalia. Raven had earned her Enchantix earlier this year, but Natalia was a sophomore and had yet to earn her Charmix.

"Keep fighting!" Raven yelled as she blasted a tornado of razor sharp feathers at an oncoming monster. "I heard they sent for reinforcements!"

"Good, I'm not sure how much longer we can hold them off!" Natalia said, throwing sheets of snow at the charging monsters.

"Let's just hope they get here soon!" Rachel shouted as she fired jets of lava at the now frozen creatures.

A shadow fell across the three girls.

* * *

Eric rounded the corner and found himself on the battlefield. Where was she, where was she? He turned and caught sight of her. She was on the ground with two other fairies. A huge orange eagle-like creature hovered over them, its beak poised for the kill.

"Get away from her!" Eric shouted, quickly lifting his rifle into firing position. Small packets of energy flew through the air, crashing into the beast.

"SCREEEE!" the creature yelled in pain. Enraged, it turned towards Eric. "SCREEEEE!" Its massive wings flapped ferociously, blasting Eric with wind. He stood firm.

"You want some of this?" Eric pulled a grenade from his bandoleer. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the pin.

"SCREEEE!"

"Here, take it!" He hurled the grenade straight into the thing's open mouth.

The eagle choked, the grenade just too big to swallow, but too far in to spit out. Then it exploded, decapitating the beast. It collapsed to the ground in a heap, dead.

"Are you girls okay?"

"Eric? What are you doing here?"

"Saving you." He turned and opened fire on an advancing pack of Wolf Serpents. The energy packets ripped into them, reducing them to scraps of fur and scale.

"You have to get out of here!" Rachel shouted. "It's not safe for you!"

"It's not safe for you either. Now get out of the way!"

"Rachel, I think we should do as he says." Natalia said.

"We've done our part Rachel." Raven said. "I know you're running out of magic, and Natalia's dead on her feet. We have to get out of here."

"Go. I'll cover your retreat."

"Thank you."

"Just get my sister to safety."

"I will."

"No! Eric, you can't do this!"

Eric ignored her, continuing to fire at the oncoming monsters.

"Rachel, you can't help him. Don't make this any harder than it has to be."

"I-"

"Rachel." Raven's voice was stern. "I know this isn't easy, but we have to get out of here."

"No!"

"Okay then, the hard way it is."

Rachel was small, just as Eric was, and Raven picked her up with no real difficulty, slinging the still resisting girl over her shoulder. "Come on Natalia, we have to hurry." Raven and Natalia fled, Rachel struggling and sobbing as her friend carried her to safety.

* * *

"It is with the greatest of sadness that I must report the death of Private Eric Corwin." The President of the United States said. A man and his wife stood next to him while a young fairy stood just to their left.

"Private Corwin was not one whom much was expected of. He was a soldier. No more, no less." The President paused. "But sometimes, we need to be reminded just what it means to be a soldier. Private Corwin did just that.

"Against the orders of his commanding officer, Private Corwin took it upon himself to uphold our treaty with the realm of Magix. He, and he alone chose to defy his commander's unlawful orders to serve, and to protect.

"I am told that Private Corwin fought with a courage seldom seen, battling to his last breath. I am told by those who witnessed it that his actions saved over a dozen men, women, and children from hostile forces. And I am told, that even now, the realm of Magix has acknowledged him as a hero of the highest degree.

"How can we do any less?"

"It is my great honor to bestow upon Private Eric Corwin the Medal of Honor. Like many of these awards, the man receiving it will never hold it, but he has more than earned it.

"And like every other hero before him, he will live forever. In our hearts. In our minds. In the hearts and minds of our friends and allies in Magix. Private Corwin will not be forgotten, and his sacrifice and courage will be remembered. And when the monster behind this war is finally brought to justice, it will be in his name. Thank you."


	3. Legacy of Heroes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club.**

**I hadn't planned on doing anything else with Private Corwin's story, but I realized there was more to tell. Eric Corwin's sacrifice had a severe impact on the way the war was fought, particularly for the people of Earth. Part of this was because the war had finally come to Earth with small skirmishes taking place in the weeks leading up to the first battle at Stonehenge, but a much larger part was due to Corwin proving that humans could be just as capable on the field of battle as specialists, or even fairies. Human soldiers began appearing in battles across the Magic Dimension. **

**This is one such battle.**

"Get down!" Corporal Theo Stevens of the 208th infantry yelled to his squad as a dragon came past, spitting fire in their direction. His men hurried to obey, ducking behind the boulders that dotted this dry hillside. When the fire passed, they popped back out and returned fire.

"Yeah! Come get some!" Private David Wells shouted with glee as his machine gun began to spit a steady stream of energy blasts at their reptilian assailant.

"Is everything a game to you?" Private Roger Newall complained, bringing up his rifle to fire at one of the smaller dragons flanking the one that had just blasted them.

"You know Dave," Private Benjamin Korson said, bringing up his own weapon, "if he's not having fun then the world is doomed. Isn't that right, Kenny?"

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that. It's Kenneth or Ken. Not Kenny." Private Kenneth Gouren grumbled. He was the replacement for the heroically deceased Eric Corwin and he still didn't truly fit into the team.

"Enough chatter, they're coming back for another pass." Corporal Stevens barked. He was a kind man who had well earned his nickname "Teddy", but in training or in battle, no one dared disobey his orders. "Private Gouren, ready the grenade launcher."

"The Corwin Maneuver, sir?"

"Yes Private."

"Yes sir!" Private Gouren readied his grenade launcher. The energy grenades it contained were incredibly destructive ordinance, capable blasting through a six-inch thick solid steel door. Some of the creatures they'd fought simply laughed at the explosions. These dragons were a case in point. Heavily armored and constantly moving, they were a major threat. Corporal Stevens's team was just a small part of the regiment sent to wipe them out. So far, they hadn't had much luck.

The dragon swept down, its mouth opening to unleash another holocaust of fire upon the soldiers. Private Gouren lifted the launcher to his shoulder and took careful aim, them squeezed the trigger. The grenade took flight with a muffled thump, arcing through the air.

It landed in the open mouth of the beast where it promptly exploded.

The decapitated creature fell from the sky, dead. The trio of smaller dragons that had been accompanying it immediately fled, the death of their leader taking the fight out of them. Rifle and machine gun fire brought down two of them before they could get out of range, but the third escaped into the mountains.

All around them the battle seemed to be winding down, bodies of both dragon and soldier lying on the ground in the early spring sun.

"Good work today men." Stevens said as they began to move out of their cover. "Good work."

* * *

Lieutenant Colonel Edward McNell sat in the command post for 208th Regiment. He had received his promotion on a temporary basis so that he could fill the role left by the dishonorably discharged Richard Warren had left behind, at least until a suitable replacement was found. Or his promotion was made permanent. Given his record over the last month of the war, most expected him to retain command of the third battalion.

His fellow battalion commanders sat in the tent with him.

Colonel Evan Seward, commander of the first battalion sat to McNell's left. On his right sat Colonel Weston "West" Randall, commander of the second battalion. Across the table from him sat Lieutenant Colonel Clarence White, the only woman among them and the commander of the fourth battalion. A map was spread across the table between them.

The tent flapped open as Brigadier General William Quentin stepped through. He immediately focused on McNell.

"Lieutenant Colonel."

"Brigadier General."

"Your men fought well today. You should be proud."

"I am, but I'll be certain to convey your approval to them myself."

"Good. They earned it." Quentin turned back to the room at hand. "Unfortunately, today was the easy part. Tomorrow, we enter the warren, clear out the beasts, and end their threat to this area. Understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Now, I'm open to any ideas on how to do this. We've already lost thirty-five good men and women, and I don't want to lose any more if we can help it. Lady and gentlemen, the floor is open."

* * *

Various ideas were bounced back and forth, but in the end, the nature of their enemy dictated their tactics. The dragons might make their home in the tunnels in the mountain, but they were at their weakest when they were trapped, kept from the open sky by tons of solid rock. Inside the mountain, they could not maneuver, and therefore they were vulnerable. Unfortunately, their armor and their ability to bore through solid rock made caving the entrances in pointless. Numerous other strategies were discussed, but the dragons' armor made any sort of bombardment irrelevant. In the end, the men would have to enter the tunnels and clear the beasts room by room.

"Maybe the fairies can help?" Colonel Seward suggested.

"Maybe, but I'd rather not." Brigadier General Quentin didn't object to fighting alongside fairies. He did object to putting sixteen year old girls into a war no matter how powerful they might be. If he had his way the fairy group attached to his regiment would have been made up of women old enough to join the army themselves, should they so choose. Unfortunately Earth's long period with no magic meant that most of the Earth fairies were either beholden to Tir Nan Og, or still quite young. He had to make do with what he had, whatever his conscience might tell him.

But even he could not object to the fairy who'd been chosen to lead his detachment of fairies. Rachel Corwin, recent Enchantix fairy and the younger sister of the first human to give his life for the war lead the group of forty fairies. As the Fairy of Lava, she was a powerful asset, and the fairies she lead were no less exceptional.

"Sir, I think they may be able to help." Lieutenant Colonel White said. "If nothing else, they may be able to provide us some protection from the dragons' fire."

"Very well, see to it."

Lieutenant Colonel McNell was restless in his seat. The plan called for one battalion to go in the main entrance while two more entered from the side entrances they'd discovered. The last battalion would remain on the surface in case the beasts had another escape route. The third battalion was slated to take that position. As usual.

For all the honor that clung to the name of Eric Corwin, precious little of any honor was bestowed upon his former battalion. They weren't quite considered cowards, but it was a close thing. Rather than uphold the treaty with the realm of Magix, they'd instead sat by and done nothing as the capitol city was attacked. Most of the shame clung to their former commander, but some had splashed onto his battalion. Which meant they were often given the jobs the other commanders felt they could trust them with. Namely, clean up.

Edward McNell knew his men. He knew they deserved better than this. He knew they wanted a chance to prove themselves. A chance to wash away their disgrace.

"Sir?"

"What is it, Lieutenant Colonel?"

"My men would like to be part of the assault."

"They will be."

"No sir, I mean they wish to be among the forces going into the warren."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes sir. Permission to lead my battalion into the warren sir?"

"...Very well. Battalion two will take surface duty. Your battalion will enter through the east tunnels. Is this satisfactory?"

"Yes sir. Thank you sir."

"If that is everything, this meeting is adjourned." The Brigadier General rose. "Dismissed." He strode out of the tent.

Colonel Seward and Lieutenant Colonel followed him, leaving McNell alone with Colonel Weston Randall, commander of the second battalion. The two men stared at each other for a moment. Then Colonel Randell broke into a grin.

"Give 'em hell for us, will you?"

"Yes sir!" McNell said with enthusiasm.

"Good. By the way, you owe me a beer for this."

"Funny, somehow I always seem to owe you a beer."

"Rank hath it's privilege. Now get some rest. You'll need it for tomorrow."

* * *

"Did you hear?" Private Korson asked. "We're going in this time! No more waiting for something to happen, we're going in with the assault!"

"Oh great, let me revise my will." Private Newall said gloomily.

"Oh stop being such a wimp Roger." Private Wells said. "This is going to be fun!"

"I wouldn't call it fun, but it's better than just waiting for something that never seems to happen." Private Gouren said. "What about you Corporal?" He turned to Corporal Stevens.

"It's all the same to me. We have a job to do, we do it. Simple as that. Now does anyone want the last of the soup?"

"I would like some if it's not too much of a bother." A young girl's voice broke through their conversation. The five men turned to face the speaker.

"Oh please, stay where you are." Rachel Corwin said. "I'm just here for a social visit."

"Uh huh." Newall said nervously. Technically, this young girl held the same authority as a junior captain, and Newall was notorious for his distrust of authority. Particularly authority younger than him.

"Ms. Corwin, it's an honor to meet you." Corporal Stevens said, sticking out his massive hand. Her much smaller hand met his overgrown paw and the two shook.

"No, the honor is mine. Eric-" She glanced at the ground, unshed tears glittering in her eyes. She sniffed and wiped them away. "Eric always said you were a good man."

"I'm happy to hear it. Your brother was a good man too. A better man than me."

"Maybe. Although you're definitely more of a man."

Theo Stevens chuckled sadly. "Yes, I suppose I am at that. Hard to believe so much courage could come in such a small package as your brother."

"I know. He always looked out for me. When I discovered my powers back in fifth grade, he helped me come to terms with it. He even stood up to some kids who picked on me because of my powers."

"Let me guess, they called you Tinkerbell." Newall said sarcastically.

"Just ignore him." Gouren said. "The rest of us do."

"Oh, but I have a present for him." Rachel smiled maliciously. Using her powers she turned him a rather garish shade of orange.

"Hey!"

"If you don't like it, all you have to do is ask."

"No."

"Then you'll be orange for the rest of your life."

"...Turn me back to normal."

"Turn me back to normal...?"

"...Please."

"Alright then." She waved her hand and he went back to his normal fair coloration. Newall immediately went back to scowling at the girl who, for her part, seemed completely unaware of his vicious glare.

"Think you could teach me that trick?" Korson asked.

"Unless you're secretly a wizard, no."

"I did turn everyone's socks blue that one time."

"That's because you never did figure out how to use those magic washing machines." Stevens said. "Stupidity is not a magical power."

"Oh, Corporal, that was cruel!" Korson said dramatically. "I am shocked, nay, wounded, by your judgement of me!"

"I see Eric wasn't exaggerating when he said you had a flair for drama." Rachel said.

"So, miss, was there some reason for you to visit us, or were you just looking for a meet-and-greet?" Gouren asked.

"Yes, in fact, there was." Rachel sat down. "As you know, tomorrow we enter the dragon warren. My fairies and I will be joining the attack."

"And this impacts us... how?" Newall asked, still irritated over her turning him orange.

"Standard procedure for us means attaching individual fairies to teams. Each fairy is attached to a team of four men and their corporal. Given that you were my brother's old team, I think it would be fitting if I were to join you for this battle."

"We'd be honored to have you miss." Stevens said.

"I'm glad." She glanced up at the setting sun. "I have a lot to tell you if we're going to work together properly tomorrow, so let's get started."

* * *

The following day dawned bright and clear. Soldiers stormed into the tunnels dug by the mighty beasts. From above, explosions and shouts could be heard, along with the bellowing of the dragons and the roar of flames. Radios crackled with static and shouted commands, punctuated by the sounds of gunfire and magic. A few dragons escaped through various bolt holes, but were shot down by the men waiting at the surface. By the time the sun reached its peak, the battle was over.

Men, women, and fairies began to exit the tunnels. When everyone was clear, the tunnels were detonated by remote control, caving them in so that they couldn't be used by anything else. A great victory. Nearly seven hundred dragons killed for the loss of only one hundred and twenty-eight men.

The men and women of Earth had proven themselves once again, in their biggest battle to date. Earth was a force to be reckoned with, not some helpless, magic deprived target. Earth was strong, guarded by its armies, and represented by its heroes. Heroes like Eric Corwin, who died to save his sister, and Rachel Corwin, who would continue the struggle, fighting for both of them. Heroes like Edward McNell, who, though injured in the conflict, fought at the front of the battle until he was certain it had been won. Heroes like Theo Stevens, who led his men with compassion, strength, and courage. And even heroes like Roger Newall, who, for all his complaining, was one of the most effective soldiers in the 208th infantry. Men and women who would carry the banner of Earth across the Magic Dimension for the first time in centuries.

Earth had returned to the Magic Dimension, in all of her glory.

**A/N: Just like the last story about human soldiers, this one also has a song associated with it. _Who We Are_ by RED. Not even remotely in the same genre as _Hero_ is though...**

**Anyways, this ends the story of the 208th's role in the war. Probably. Unless inspiration for another story about them strikes. We'll have to see.**


	4. Frontline

**Disclaimer: I don't own Winx Club.**

**Inspired by the song _Frontline_ by Pillar.**

**Done for my account's first birthday!**

Commander Karlin of the 503rd Solarian Jump Scouts, the Arcturus Ghosts, stood calmly as he stared at the field before him. The battle was going exactly as planned. His command had discovered the monstrous army almost two hundred miles out from the city of Fellsden on Solaria's daughter colony world Ulvit and summoned the Solarian forces to deal with the threat. Now the two armies clashed, less than a mile out from the city. It had been close, but the army had made it in time. Karlin and his soldiers' job was done. Their only purpose now was to keep an eye out for any monsters which might escape from the general melee.

Karlin adjusted the straps that held the silvery wings to his back. All of his men had them. They didn't give them the power of flight, but they did give them the invaluable ability to teleport, or 'jump', anywhere from a few yards to as much as three miles. Thus, their designation as Jump Scouts. The wings were too valuable and fragile to bring into a full on battle, but for bringing down those who might escape from the hammer that was the Solarian army, they were the perfect weapon.

"Think we'll see any action today?" Karlin's second in command, Seyla asked.

"I hope not." Karlin said. "We're too close to Fellsden. There's a chance any escapees would reach the city before we could stop them, and our wings aren't precise enough for urban combat."

"Spoilsport!" She accused.

"Realist. There's a difference."

"Yeah. One's ten letters, the other's seven."

"Seyla..."

"It's okay sir, we know you try."

Karlin smiled, despite himself. He was the cold, logical one. He gave the orders, planned the strategy, and organized the missions. Seyla was the one who got things done though. Her zest for life, her will to fight, and her drive to succeed turned his plans into reality. He wasn't looking forward to giving her up next month, but she really had earned the right to take command of her own unit.

"Commander Karlin." His communicator crackled to life. "Breakout in progress. North flank. Command advises you not to engage."

What? This was exactly what his unit was for! "I respectfully request that command explain its decision."

"Mehnyats."

Karlin understood immediately. Mehnyats were the apex predators of Ulvit. They looked a lot like fifteen foot long centipedes with long armored bodies and twenty long spindly legs that ended in razor sharp claws. However, that was where the similarities ended. Unlike centipedes, they had long flexible necks that ended in a head equipped with a truly fearsome set of jaws. When closed, it's mouth resembled a beak, but it consisted of four independent mandibles, each capable of hundreds of pounds worth of force. They were fast, tough, and very aggressive. And now they were obeying the command of Eclipsis.

"Sir, I must respectfully disagree. If we do not contain them they will reach Fellsden. At top speed they could reach the city in less than five minutes."

"Command advises that you wait for reinforcements. Your unit is not equipped to deal with this level of threat."

"By the time reinforcements get there they'll be in the city!" Seyla said.

"Sir, this is what my unit is here for. We will hold them until reinforcements can arrive."

"Very well. Dragon protect you."

"Thank you sir." He turned to face his assembled unit. Thirty six men and women, each equipped with the jump wings and a Solarian Army spear. "We're moving out! Target, the edge of Fellsden!"

"Yes sir!"

* * *

Karlin blinked back into existence, his unit materializing behind him. "Wings off." He said. A hush fell over the unit. They only removed the wings when heavy combat was expected. The last time it had happened, they'd lost five soldiers.

Eight Mehnyats charged across the scenic grassland, moving with the speed and ferocity only a planet's ultimate predator can possess.

Karlin uttered his signature line. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the front line. Stand with or stand aside."

"Arcturus Ghosts!" Seyla's battle cry sounded. "Charge!" The troops roared their response and followed their commanders into the battle.

* * *

Karlin spun past a claw to bury his spear in the body of one of the creatures. He punched through its armor, looking for its heart.

He didn't find it.

The monstrous head swooped down from above.

"Move!" Seyla shouted, blocking the assault with her own spear. Karlin took her advice and dodged away, leaving his spear buried in the creature's body. Cursing, he pulled out his dagger. It was a puny weapon in the face of the huge beasts bearing down on him.

He charged in again. Taking on a Mehnyat with a dagger. If it weren't for the city behind him, he would never have even considered the idea, but desperate situations call for desperate measures. He jumped onto the creature's head before it could draw back for another strike. Holding on with his legs, he drove the dagger in with both hands. It pierced the beast's left eye, but the thing refused to die. It shook its head, throwing him to the ground. Now empty handed, he could only lay there, dazed, as the wounded beast moved to attack him.

"Heads up!" Another soldier shouted. A spear arced through the air to strike the monster's skull. It wasn't hard enough to kill the creature, but the impact startled the creature, buying Karlin a split second. He grabbed the spear and lunged, skewering the Mehnyat's other eye. It collapsed, finally dead. He tossed the spear back to its original owner before retrieving his own spear. Six Mehnyats still fought. He charged the next one.

* * *

"Fall back! We'll take it from here!" A unit of a hundred heavily armed soldiers crested a small rise, arriving on the scene of the small battle.

"You're late." Seyla said, holding half of her broken spear. The other half was buried in the last Mehnyat's body. She jumped down from the corpse. "Fight's over."

"Thank you for coming to help, but as you can see, the situation has been resolved." Karlin said. His spear was gone again, so he waved with his dagger. Eight Mehnyat corpses lay scattered across the field. Eleven soldiers lay with them. Six more were currently receiving emergency medical treatment from their fellow soldiers. None of them were unharmed. "My communicator was destroyed in the battle, please inform command of our situation."

"Yes sir."

* * *

Years later, when the war was over, a statue was erected at the edge of the city of Fellsden. It consisted of thirty six figures standing side by side, pushing back a monster. On the base of the statue, the words "For those who stood up, for those who stood together, for those who would not stand aside." were engraved. Beneath that were the names of every soldier of 503rd, forever carved in the stone of a grateful city.

**There was originally supposed to be a second one-shot added to this series today. Unfortunately, it got bogged down in editing and is not ready for publication. It should be done some time in the next week or so.**


	5. The Outcast and The Cat

**Disclaimer: I don't own Winx Club.**

"No."

"Sir-"

"My decision is final." Yengon, head of the Lightrock Monastery said. "It is not our place to fight. We create and preserve the peace by remaining peaceful."

Sutei bit back his sharp response, pausing to carefully consider his next words. "Sir, the peace is already gone. The Magic Dimension is at war."

"Thus our responsibility to reestablish peace through our serenity."

"Sir, this isn't a war of conquest or ideals. It's a war for survival. Serenity and peace are concepts the enemy does not understand."

"And you would meet them with force?"

"It is the only language they understand, sir."

"Then you are a fool who has forgotten our most sacred teachings."

This time Sutei could not hold back his words. "No sir, I have not. I just realize that those teachings are placing innocent lives at risk. Sir."

"Mind your tongue." Yengon said. "Through peace and tranquility, order shall be restored. If you join this conflict you will only prolong it. You will remain here. And, as your punishment for your behavior, you shall spend three hours every day for the next two weeks studying our scriptures."

Sutei stared at his superior. He had known coming into this meeting that his request was unlikely to be granted, but he had made his decision. And just like Yengon's, his decision was final. "No."

"Excuse me?" Yengon glared at Sutei. "You are defying me?"

"Yes." Sutei met Yengon's glare with an equally steely stare. "With or without your blessing, I will leave Lightrock to join the war. My conscience will let me do no other."

"Then you are no longer one of us. You will leave by the end of the day, and you may never return."

"I agree. I had hoped that you would see reason, but now I realize you are blinded by tradition. I will leave, and I will never again see you."

"Get out of my sight." Yengon said, turning his back on the former disciple.

* * *

Sutei quickly gathered his few worldly possessions. They amounted to a single small bag which he hefted onto his shoulders. He still had some time before the evening flight arrived. He would leave then. He grabbed the staff that had been given to him when he was first initiated into the order. Its comforting weight settled into his hands. He stared at it for a moment. He was giving up his whole world. And for what? He shook his head. Lives were in danger. He could not sit idly by. He slung the staff across his back before he ventured out into prayer fields in front of the monastery.

He glanced around, looking for one face in particular.

"Looking for me?" Sutei jumped at the voice from behind him. Mona always managed to do that to him. He turned to face her.

Mona was one of those sent to Lightrock as the result of a crime. However, her crimes weren't very severe, so she'd only been sentenced to four years. It had been three years since and she was almost due for release on good behavior. In his heart, Sutei was convinced she was just a good person who had made a mistake.

"Yes, how did you know?"

"Simple. You only come out this late in the day if something important has happened. And, since you like to tell me about every little thing that happens to you, logically the first person you'd look for is me."

"I don't tell you everything!"

"Right. Tell me something you haven't told me yet. What happened today doesn't count."

"Um..."

"I thought as much. So, what's the news?"

"You're going to be released soon. The wardens think you're reformed."

"Hmph. That's not everything, is it?"

"...No."

"Well then, spill!"

"...I'm leaving."

"You're joining the war."

"You knew?"

"I could guess. You're not the type to stand around and watch."

"I'm not coming back. Even if I survive, I'll never be able to return."

"Figures. No good deed goes unpunished."

"I don't care. I'm going to go and fight for the people of the Magic Dimension. I don't care if Lightrock won't take me back."

Mona surprised him again, stepping up to him and placing her hand on his chest. "Stay safe."

Sutei blinked. "Why do you care what happens to me? I'm just another warden."

"Yes, but you were kind to me."

"So was everyone else. This is Lightrock after all."

"Yes, but you were the only one who really meant it." She turned to head back to the prayer fields. "Stay safe for me, will you? I want you to see me as a free woman."

Sutei could only stare at her retreating form. He would never understand that witch.

* * *

"Charge!"

Sutei leapt forwards, a polearm in his hands. It was much like his old staff, save for the foot of razor sharp steel at one end. He had joined a unit of Melodian soldiers who now ran beside him.

They had met the enemy in the wilderness of Melody and forced them into an open area for the battle. The most common enemies were the enormous six armed bears known as Urqang, a species unique to Melody. Standing eight feet tall at the shoulder and nearly twelve feet from nose to tail, they were powerful creatures.

The Melodians charge was met by an avalanche of fur and claws as the monsters slammed into the battle lines. The fight quickly devolved into a chaotic frenzy as the monsters shattered any semblance of organization in the panicking Melodians.

Sutei found himself facing an Urqan alone. One man and a six foot long stick with a blade on the end against well over three tons of deadly predator. But the man had one thing the bear didn't. He forced himself into a tranquil state and reached for his magic.

Nothing happened.

The creature roared and charged him. Sutei leapt to the side, drawing his weapon across the Urqan's flank. A thin line of blood appeared, but the wound was far from serious.

Why wasn't his magic working? He should be able to call upon it for the strength to defeat this creature! A horrible thought occurred to him. He had been cast out of the Lightrock Order, did that mean his powers were gone to? No, that was impossible. He took a deep breath. Urqang were powerful and fast, but not very agile. It was taking it time for the creature to turn itself around to face him.

He tried again. Rather than focus on serenity, he instead tried to focus on what drove him. What he was fighting for. The people of Magix as he imagined them came to his mind. He felt a faint flicker of power, but before he could draw it out, the Urqan charged again. Distracted, the creature caught him with one massive paw, hurling him to the edge of the battle. He was badly wounded. Two of the creature's claws had dug into him and the impact of the blow and landing had done more damage. If only he could access his magic!

The Urqan lumbered towards him. It was coming to end his life. Maybe Yengon was right. Maybe he had made a mistake leaving the monastery.

A snarl ripped through the air. A huge and majestic striped white cat leapt over his body to pounce on the Urqan. Its fangs sank deep into the bear's neck, crushing it. The monster fell to the ground, dead. The cat stalked over to Sutei.

"What... what are you?" He asked as he stared at the cat.

Instead of answering, the cat sat back. Its form rippled and melted, revealing the last person Sutei had expected to see.

"You don't recognize me?" Mona asked. "How rude of you."

"I-" Sutei stared at her. Something in his mind suddenly clicked. He reached for his magic, and found it. His wounds closed as his power washed over him.

"If I'd known you could do that I wouldn't have gotten involved." She said.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"I said I wanted you to see me as a free woman, didn't I?"

"They released you! But, how did you find me?"

"The day you left I put a scent trace spell on you."

"Without my permission!" He said, suddenly angry.

"Oh please, my people never ask for permission."

"I've known plenty of witches who ask for permission before casting spells on people!"

She cocked her head and stared at him. "You think I'm a witch?" She started laughing. "Oh, that's just too funny!"

"If you're not a witch, then what are you?" Sutei demanded.

Another Urqan charged towards them. Mona dropped into a three point stance as it rushed towards them. "Simple." She said. It was almost on her. She leapt straight up, flying nearly twenty feet into the air. She pivoted to come down behind the rearing Urqan, her fingers turning into claws. She slashed her hand down its back, severing its spine. It fell to the ground unable to move. She rose to her feet again, facing Sutei. "I'm a Cait Sidhe."

She walked over to him and gently closed his gaping mouth. "And you are mine."

Sutei knew better than to argue with her.

**A/N: Cait Sidhe, pronounced cat see, are creatures from Celtic folklore. Their name translates fairly literally as "Fairy Cats", keeping in mind that fairy was not necessarily a good thing in Celtic folklore. I did take some creative liberties with exactly what Cait Sidhe are, but I think it works. Mona's personality is roughly based off of my own cat's personality, so I think it's fairly accurate. And yes, she did transform into a white Bengal Tiger.**


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